"A page is turning for me. I won't be candidate in legislative
elections, nor in any elections to come," he told party members
gathered at the Elysee Palace. "I love life too much to be
bitter.” He added that if he could, he would step down
"tomorrow", but he had to "respect tradition" and wait for the
appointed day -- which has been set as May 15 -- to hand over
power to socialist Francois Hollande.

The 57-year-old former lawyer even said that he wanted
journalists “to leave me alone” so he could live a normal life.
“I'm unable to have lunch with my family. I hope I can now be
left to enjoy a bit of quiet,” he said, according to
The Daily Mail.

While his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy reportedly welcomed the
decision (after publicly worrying her husband was “working
himself to death”), party members and friends were worried at the
announcement. "The falling out of love of the French will be
worse than his divorce with Cécilia (his second wife),” a friend
told
Le Parisien. “It wouldn't surprise me if he goes through a
small depression."

Sarko is only the second French president to lose re-elections
for a second term.